Displaying items by tag: Workers

8th August 2019

Workers at Harland & Wolff Hail Public for Support As Their Protest Continues

Workers of Harland & Wolff continue their protest at the famous historic shipyard located at Queen's Island, Belfast

Workers at Harland & Wolff have seen a deluge of support - from donations of suncream and food to performances by local celebrities.

As the Belfast Telegraph reports, the workforce continue their occupation of the historic shipyard even as the firm is placed into administration, there has been a steady stream of supporters arriving with donations and words of encouragement.

Newry singer Tommy Sands donned a Harland & Wolff cap as he performed a number of songs at the gates of the shipyard yesterday, including one he had written for the workers.

Unite shop steward and Harland & Wolff steel worker Joe Passmore thanked Mr Sands, saying his performance had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Fantastic, I'm sure every shipyard worker here had the same feeling, I know you did actually," he said.

More can be read here on the story of the shipyard which as previously reported drew calls for it to be nationalised.

Published in Belfast Lough

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About World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day is celebrated annually on June 8th to highlight the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet. The focus each year is on the 30x30 campaign: to create a healthy ocean with abundant wildlife and to stabilise the climate, it is critical that 30% of our planet’s lands, waters, and oceans are protected by 2030.

One of the issues affecting our ocean is marine litter which has become a global problem for both humans and marine life. However, communities around Ireland have demonstrated their desire to be part of the solution by taking part in several beach cleaning and clean-up calls to action.

Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities.

In 2021, the initiative changed its name from “World Oceans Day” to “World Ocean Day”. By dropping the “s”, its organisers wanted to highlight the fact that we are all connected by a large ocean. This shared ocean supports all life on the planet, by producing most of the oxygen we breathe and regulating climate. No matter where we live, we all depend on the ocean to survive.

This means that each piece of marine litter removed from a beach, river, lake, park or street in Ireland, will have a positive impact on a global scale.